Welcome to the final installment of our series on supermarkets in Cambridge!
SUPERMARKETS
The 1920’s and 30’s saw a flourishing of these new supermarkets in Cambridge:
Cambridge Chronicle July 20, 1929
Cambridge Chronicle November 11, 1932
Cambridge Chronicle February 17, 1938
Cambridge Chronicle March 3, 1938
Cambridge Chronicle May 12, 1938
And finally, the evolution of supermarkets in one location: 115 Prospect Street.
Cambridge Chronicle June 11, 1942: First National
Cambridge Chronicle November 15, 1979: Bread and Circus
Cambridge Chronicle March 10, 1994: Whole Foods
FUN FACTS ABOUT GROCERY SHOPPING Excerpts from: The Evolution of the Supermarket Industry: From A&P to Walmart by Paul B. Ellickson, March 15, 2015
7 Inventions That Made Grocery Shopping Easier
Shopping Carts The first shopping cart was invented in 1937 by Sylvan Goldman, who was distressed at seeing women who quit shopping when their own wicker baskets got too heavy with groceries. His solution was to design a “folding basket carrier.” These carts didn’t take off right away, despite the convenience they offered. It wasn’t until the rise of the supermarket that more shoppers recognized the benefits of using one.
Supermarkets By 1960, over 70 percent of the nation bought their groceries at supermarkets. But it’s more than just groceries these supermarkets had to offer: Along with food, supermarkets provided a convenient way for shoppers to buy beverages and household products.
Grocery Bags Carrying several heavy brown paper bags that had been in use for decades could be challenging. It became more convenient to carry groceries in plastic bags equipped with handles. These plastic bags made their debut in the United States in 1979 but it wasn’t until 1985 that a large majority of supermarkets offered plastic bags.
Credit Cards Credit cards were invented in 1958, but it took grocery stores a long time to accept this form of payment. Before grocers accepted credit cards, most customers paid by check which caused increased wait times in line. Before 1991, only 800 supermarkets accepted credit cards. After 1992, more than 5,000 supermarkets began to take this convenient form of payment.
Self-Checkout The first-self checkout, called “the service robot,” was invented in 1992. By 2003, supermarkets across the country offered self-checkouts.
Online Shopping Nowadays, people don’t even have to set foot in the store to buy their groceries. They can buy their groceries online from the convenience of their own home and have them delivered. According to the latest statistics, there are about 93 million online grocery purchasers.
Today’s post was written by CHC volunteer Kathleen Fox.
“There are no bad images; that’s just how your face looks at times.” -Henri Cartier-Bresson
Today it’s hard to imagine life without photography in all media, but the arrival of popular photography in the mid-19th century created a remarkable transformation in how we understood the world … something akin the arrival of telephones. Photography increased our vision and hence our perception of the world around us. Without photography, we wouldn’t talk about “snap-shots” (coined by Sir John Herschel in 1860), “photo,” “close-up,” “pin-hole,” flash bulb,” or “shutterbug.”
THE START OF IT ALL
Several inventors made advances towards photography in the 19th century, but Louis Daguerre (1787-1851) clinched it with his invention of the daguerreotype in France in 1829.
Image: Wikipedia
The first daguerreotype operation in Cambridge seems to have been Mr. Clark Moore’s mobile studio. Imagine the astonishment at the Cambridge Chronicle‘s office on Main Street when one December day in 1849 the editor looked out his window and saw this “Daguerreotype Saloon” pass by!
Cambridge Chronicle December 13, 1849
Cambridge Chronicle Building, 1855. Demolished by 1865 – Now 689 Mass Ave. Image: CHC
Mr. Moore went on to establish his permanent studio at the corner of Main and Essex streets.
Cambridge Chronicle September 20, 1851
Fast forward a decade and photography had really seized the public’s attention:
Cambridge Chronicle March 1, 1862
A search of the local newspapers reveals that in the decade 1850-1859 the word “daguerreotype” appeared 91 times. The word “camera” only six times and the word “photographic” nine times. By 1890-1899, “daguerreotype” appeared only 12 times, “camera” 317 times, and “photographic” 696 times.
Articles appeared coaching would-be photographers on how to take the best portrait photograph:
Cambridge Chronicle January 28, 1865
Next appeared witty descriptions of surviving the application of ice tongs during the process:
Cambridge Chronicle July 5, 1873
PHOTOGRAPHY AS ART
This technology opened a new way of creating the sort of dignified portraits that had been traditionally captured by trained portrait painters. In this vein, many photographers referred to themselves as artists.
Cambridge Chronicle September 16, 1899
Cambridge Chronicle February 20, 1869
Cambridge Chronicle September 16, 1899
Cambridge Chronicle March 1, 1884
G.W. PACH’s studio was founded by him and his brothers in New York City. Wildly successful, they subsequently opened branches in Cambridge, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. They advertised heavily in Cambridge. Note the reference to his “Art Studio” in the advertisement:
Cambridge Directory 1880
Cambridge Chronicle October 31, 1896
From Boston Elevated Railway Collection: Workers making borings near Harvard Square. The Pach Bros. building (demolished in 1916) can be seen in the background (August 17, 1906).
In 1880, the Pach Bros. published a pamphlet “devoted to the interests of the photographic art …”, to “the building up of the glorious cause of art, and to convey such information as will lead to a greater interest in artistic efforts.”
Cambridge Chronicle January 3, 1880
COMPETITION FOR THE TRADITIONAL ARTISTS IN PORTRAIT PAINTING
“From today, painting is dead!” (Attributed to French artist Paul Delaroche commenting on daguerreotypes).
Most probably portrait photography substantially ate into traditional painters’ business. “By 1859, Charles Baudelaire was denouncing photography as ‘the mortal enemy of art.’ ‘If photography is allowed to stand in for art in some of its functions,’ Baudelaire fumed, ‘it will soon supplant or corrupt it completely.’” (Baltimore Sun)
Cambridge Tribune October 22, 1898
But it may also have given artists a boost. Now they could advertise their skill at painting portraits from photographs. And, since photography had captured the “realism” market, painters had more freedom to use looser styles, emphasizing qualities of light, and creating more atmospheric portraits.
Cambridge Chronicle July 26, 1884
The fine print: “we are connected with one of the best-known Photographic Establishments in Boston, and parties desiring portraits or Colored Work will be furnished with sitting free of expense.”
AND THEN CAME GEORGE EASTMAN “You press the button – we do the rest.”
Original Kodak camera. Image: Time Magazine
George Eastman launched the Kodak – the first successful roll-film camera – in 1888. “The camera was sold loaded with film, and both had to be sent back to the factory for processing. Over 13,000 cameras were sold in the first year. (http://www.alternativephotography.com/history-photographic-words/)
Cambridge Chronicle June 7, 1890
Other varieties of cameras soon hit the market:
Cambridge Chronicle April 23, 1887: “the detective camera”
Cambridge Chronicle October 3, 1891: “the Hawkeye camera”
Cambridge Chronicle May 22, 1897: “the Falcon camera”
Cambridge Chronicle May 7, 1898: “the Munroe Camera”
Cambridge Chronicle January 13, 1894: “the Photoret Snap Shot and Time exposure camera”
Image: Liveauctioneers.com
Photographic equipment was frequently sold in hardware stores:
Cambridge Chronicle June 12, 1897
Cambridge Tribune August 5, 1893
PHOTOGRAPHY CLUBS
The advent of Eastman’s Kodak camera advanced amateur photography substantially. Cambridge alone had seven different photographic clubs: The Old Cambridge Photographic Club (1892) was founded by Alice C. Allyn. Others included the YMCA Camera Club, Cambridge Camera Club (1888), Lechmere Camera Club (1896), Harvard Cambridge Club, the Tech. Camera Club, and Cambridge Heights Camera Club. Many of these clubs focused on landscape, or nature, photography.
Cambridge Tribune April 7, 1888
Butterfield was known for his landscape photographs:
Cambridge Chronicle September 25, 1886
Many women also took up photography, including Alice M. Longfellow, a daughter of the poet, “whose pictures of nature are a cherished heritage of the whole American people. … Miss Longfellow’s landscape views are noted for delicacy of gradation, poetic feeling and beauty of sentiment.” (Cambridge Chronicle November 16, 1889). Others were Delia Stickney and Cornelia Horsford.
One post can’t do justice to the range of popular, nature, and scientific photography in Cambridge in the late 19th century. Many well-known names and institutions are missing from this account. For instance, George Kendall Warren, who photographed Harvard graduates; Augustus Story, who was the chief photographer on the 1882 scientific expedition to New Zealand to observe the Transit of Venus; and the Harvard Observatory collection.
BUT FOR AMATEURS….
Move over George Eastman…. Here comes Edwin Land!
Image: pixscope.net
Today’s post was written by CHC volunteer Kathleen Fox.
Today we are marking National Eyewear Day, June 6.
Cambridge Chronicle May 20, 1916
Cambridge Chronicle December 28, 1878
It is widely held that Italians invented eyeglasses as early as the 1200’s. What really launched popular demand for eye glasses – spectacles — was the invention of the printing press. More to read – more the need. By the 1700’s someone had invented an “over the ear” eyeglass, which was much easier to use than those pinched on the nose. Then Benjamin Franklin came along and invented the first pair of bifocal lenses, by cutting two different lenses in half and stacking them on the other in a frame. (Source: https://allabouteyes.com/see-past-fascinating-history-eyeglasses/)
A survey of Cambridge newspapers reveals that in the mid-1800’s most advertisements for spectacles and eyeglasses were for businesses in Boston, but one of the earliest in Cambridge was B. W. & J.N. Gibbs, jewelers on Main Street. A “periscopic” lens was good for both near and far sightedness. $1.37 1/2 per pair!
Cambridge Chronicle April 15, 1847.
As shown above, most eyeglasses were sold at jeweler’s stores:
Cambridge Chronicle November 16, 1878
Over time many jewelers became opticians and/or included optical departments in their shops. In 1891, James Marshea advertised as a watch and clock maker also selling spectacles, assuring customers that eyes were examined by a trained lady optician. By 1900, Marshea was offering specialized services: not only were eyes examined professionally, but eyeglasses were fitted with lenses ground on site to individual specifications. And, the shop offered free scientific examinations.
Cambridge Tribune January 2, 1891
Cambridge Chronicle April 14, 1900
Cambridge Chronicle June 30, 1900
Cambridge Chronicle August 31, 1901
But, especially among travelling salesmen, there were many quacks and fakes. Opticians were not regulated until well into the 20th century.
The Optical Journal and Review of Optometry, Volume 27. March 23, 1911
Reflecting back on the bad old days, J. C. Bloom, who began his practice in 1889, wrote that in the days of the travelling salesman in the west, “When a person came in to get a pair of glasses, you would look him over, ask his age, and then reach into one of the boxes that had the mounted goods and you would reach from box to box until the patient said he could see. He would ask what the price was, and it was anywhere from $150 to $5.” (https://www.eyetoeyeoptical.net/AboutUs/eyeglasshistory/index.aspx)
Eventually opticians established their practices independent of jewelry stores:
Cambridge Chronicle June 16, 1888
FASHION IN EYEWEAR
In the beginning there were monocles, worn mostly by wealthy men; lorgnettes, used by the stylish; and pince-nez, all in frames of silver or gold. Then came celluloid eyeglass frames, developed in the 1860’s and 1870’s using a material invented by the English chemist Alexander Parkes in 1858. In 1870 the American inventor John Wesley Hyatt and his brother established Hyatt’s Celluloid Manufacturing Co. in New York where they produced, among many other things, commercially successful eyeglass frames, such as those offered by the jeweler A.J. Applegate in 1882. (https://www.britannica.com/technology/celluloid)
Large round tortoise shell glasses became fashionable around 1914. The time had now come when “the average human disfigurement, often an injury, seldom a person, instead of being ashamed that his eyes are on the blink, actually seems to be proud of it.” (https://www.eyetoeyeoptical.net/AboutUs/eyeglasshistory/index.aspx)
Gold eye glass frames were still popular (look at the price!)
Cambridge Chronicle April 15, 1890
“Kryptok Lenses” were a type of round bifocal, which made the line between near and far lenses less obvious.
Cambridge Chronicle June 17, 1911
Cambridge Chronicle January 25, 1913
Cambridge Chronicle June 8, 1912
* * * *
Finally, this next advertisement is not only about eyeglasses but artificial eyes as well–it just seemed too good to leave out. The business was in Boston, but they advertised in Cambridge newspapers.
Cambridge Chronicle May 11, 1901
Today’s post was written by CHC volunteer Kathleen Fox.
